Dark Horse
by Miss Jo
Summary: Summer Session at Hogwarts and the Dream Team is headed back for some surprises.
1. Default Chapter

                                                      Dark Horse

                                        A Granger/Snape  Fiction 

                                                  By Miss Jo

DISCLAIMERS:   The characters belong to the inestimable Ms. JK Rowling.  The Harry Potter universe also belongs to Scholastic, Bloomsbury, Warner Brothers, and likely many others.  No money is being made from this fiction, so please don't sue.  I have nothing of value to take.

SPOILERS: Parts of all four books are used in this story.  You've been warned.  

RATING: PG-13.  Tame at this stage, but I am unsure what my muses (who look suspiciously like Severus and Lucius Malfoy) have in store for me.  Best to be safe.

AUTHORS NOTE:  As an avid reader of HP fanfic, I have most assuredly borrowed concepts from other fanfiction.  This is unintentional.  The only thing I know for certain that was taken from another story is the class Magical Fine Arts.  However, I have can't remember which story it was.  Please let me know and I will credit you.  

       This is my first fanfiction in any genre, as well as my first major writing attempt since college almost 10 years ago.  Constructive criticism is very much welcome.  Flames, however, will feel the wrath of my delete key.  Don't waste your time.

DEDICATION: For all the immensely talented fanfiction writers on WIKTT; Snape Liberation Front; witchfics.org and fanfiction.net. It was your talent that made me want to join the ranks.  Thanks for inspiring me to pick up a pen again and start to write again. A special thank you to Baroness Von Looney for being my ever patient, ever thorough beta-goddess.

Now, on to the story…………………..


	2. Chapter 1

                                     Chapter 1: The Beginning

            The early summer sun was setting, fading from a misty blue grey to streaks of pink and lavender.  Crickets were singing and through the open windows of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry the scent of freshly cut grass wafted down the empty corridors.  But in the dungeons of the school, there was darkness, the only light coming from torches on the walls.  The scent of grass was nowhere to be found, instead the odor  of dampness threatened to overpower the senses.  The only occupant of the large office chamber was a dark haired man, who was seemingly oblivious of the meager surroundings.

            Professor Severus Snape, Potions Master of the school, sat on a leather sofa, leaning back as though completely relaxed.  Light from the torches revealed his gaunt face to be of an unhealthy pallor.  His clothes, black trousers and a collarless black linen shirt buttoned to the neck held the damp chill of the dungeons at bay.  A casual observer would initially think the man to be posed, one long lean leg propped onto the other knee, his right elbow resting on the arm of the chair.  On the nearby side table, rested a crystal glass one third full of an amber liquid.  Next to the glass was a dark colored wooden wand, lying almost carelessly on the table.

            The scene was, as one might imagine, a most lonely one, almost eerie in it's austerity.  The most unnerving thing about this particular scene, however, was the silence.  There was no ticking from a nearby clock, no rustle of papers.  The man never moved a muscle and one would need to look at the rise and fall of his chest to check for breathing, as no sound was audible.  As the flames flickered, his eyes might be noted to be closed, however, the tension in his jaw, the stiffness of the limbs dispelled any illusion of sleep.

            A sharp rap on the door echoed through the chamber, and the man was on his feet instantly.  His black eyes were now narrowed and alert, the wand ready in his hand.  From a standing position, a tremor could be seen, not the coarse kind that comes from fear, but a fine one, noticeable only now that he was upright.   He made no motion toward the door.

            "Severus-!" a crisp Scottish brogue called from the other side of the door.  Professor Snape still did not move, just stood there waiting.  The knock sounded again, this time more insistent.  

            "Severus-!  The meeting is to begin in ten minutes.  I know you are in there, are you all right?"  The man crossed the chamber quickly in four graceful strides and pulled the door open just as the elderly Scotswoman raised her hand to knock again.  Professor McGonagall, the Transfigurations teacher lowered her hand.

            "I see you haven't left yet", she scolded mildly.  "Since I was down in the dungeons, I thought you might want to escort me to the staff meeting."  She said it as though she normally walked through the dungeons, despite the fact that she had no reason to be there, and her invitation to escort her was said in the tone of voice that brooked no refusal.   If Professor Snape could be considered to have any friend on the staff here at Hogwarts, she would be the only one, other than Headmaster Dumbledore, who would fit the description.  Professor Snape was known to be an impatient man, and one whose brusque demeanor made almost everyone feel ill at ease.  Despite he fact that the two heads of house often argued about almost anything and it was unlikely that they would have ever associated with each other outside of the castle walls, in here they had forged a sort of bond.

            Professor McGonagall knew Professor Snape's dark secret.  It was because of this secret that she had sought him out today, as he had only this morning been released from the infirmary.  For almost two decades, Professor Snape had been a spy in the ongoing war against the Dark wizard Voldemort.  Each time the Snape went to meet with Voldemort and his followers, better known as Death Eaters, he came back to the school in worse shape- both emotionally and physically.  Voldemort was a vicious man, though man might not be an appropriate term for him.  He had ordered the death of hundreds of people, raped and tortured others, and encouraged others to do likewise.  His followers had done his bidding, and though Snape had found the idea repugnant, the belief that any information  he could glean  would benefit the resistance against Voldemort was worth it.  So, he continued to attend the meetings, continued to watch as the ranks of followers to Voldemort grew both in number and level of viciousness.  

            During Voldemort's first rise to power, many followers had come to him to court favor, seeking riches, influence, or power. Some had come fearing they would be killed themselves if they resisted. Others in the wizarding world had chosen to commit suicide rather than be captured by Voldemort's followers.  However, many  risked their lives to fight valiantly against him, and about 15 years ago, his power broke.  Voldemort had come to witness the death of two well known in the resistance and their only child.  James and Lily Potter had fought valiantly, but had been murdered.  When their son, Harry was about to be killed by Voldemort and the curse was cast, it rebounded on its caster, and Voldemort's power had been broken.  As a result, Harry Potter became a household name, and the wizarding world worked to rebuild their lives and their community. 

      But like a poison in the air, the dark side didn't disappear.  They continued to wreak havoc, albeit more in the background.  New Death Eaters continues to be secretly recruited, becoming feared for their depravity and a love of torture, more so than their predecessors had been.  And then, almost three years ago, the unthinkable happened.  Voldemort  had been returned to full strength.  Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic, had refused to believe it initially.   His attitude of feigned ignorance was singularly unhelpful.  When told by Harry Potter, now a student at Hogwarts, about Voldemorts return to power, Fudge had declared the boy deluded.  Even Fudge, however, could not ignore what had been happening in the recent past.  He had been virtually declared ineffectual by most of the wizarding world when it was acknowledged that Fudge had known about the murders of several Muggles(nonwizarding people) by Voldemort, but had done nothing.  When wizarding families began to be targeted, Fudge tried to intervene, but it was too late.  He had lost the trust of the community and the ministry was so overrun with Death Eaters, that any plan would be useless-  secrecy was impossible.

            Hogwarts had thus become the last sanctuary in Britain for wizarding children.  Though several parents had chosen to send their children to schools overseas to keep them safe, many still trusted Hogwarts and its charismatic headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. Dumbledore had been one of the leaders of the resistance during Voldemort's first rise to power.  His continued commitment to the community had given him more influence and respect than Fudge himself, a fact that caused much tension between them.

            Two weeks ago, the unthinkable happened.  During a Death Eater meeting, Snape had been accused of being a spy.  This was not the first time it had happened; it was a common tactic among the Death Eaters to accuse each other of treachery in an attempt to court favor with Voldemort.  However, this time, the accuser, Lucius Malfoy, had been believed.  Wave after wave of curses had seared Snape's skin, hexes forcefully embedded into his flesh.  The pain had been excruciating, and Snape had collapsed in agony.  Voldemort had ordered the death of the Potions Master, but just as the curse had been about to be cast, Snape had Apparated to the gates at Hogwarts with the last of his strength.  He had been discovered by Hagrid, the half giant groundskeeper, and had spent the last two weeks in the infirmary.  His role as a spy over, Professor Snape had lost faith.  For so many years, he had endured the tortures of both himself and others, for the sole reason that he felt he was helping to make a difference.  However, in his mind, he was now useless to the cause, and all the sacrifice had been for nothing.  

            Looking at Professor Mc Gonagall with a heavy heart, Professor Snape absently offered her his arm.  As she took it with a rare smile of surprise, the two professors headed down the corridor to the staff meeting.

            The staff room was an exercise in controlled chaos.   Staff were milling around, chatting as they waited for the meeting to start.  Professor Snape took his customary seat, and bit back his irritation as Professor Remus Lupin, the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher sat down next to him, accompanied by a large shaggy black dog.  Lupin looked excited. 

 "You know, Harry signed up for the summer session.  I am so happy that he will be here, his life at his aunt and uncle's is just dreadful.  I think that Ron and Hermione will be here as well.  Harry just wrote me, and said that Hermione is a nervous wreck.  She hasn't been able to get any of the books for class as she doesn't know what  she will be taking."  Remus Lupin had been a friend of Harry Potter's father, and had forged a bond with Harry when he had returned as a teacher.  Snape rolled his eyes in exasperation.

" Don't delude yourself, Lupin.  Potter will be here because he can't stand losing the hero status he has at school when he is living at home during the summer.  Weasley can't manage to tie his shoelaces without Miss Granger giving him directions and Potter giving his approval.  As for Miss Granger herself, I am amazed that Madam Pince was able to pry her off the chairs in the library to get her to go home in the first place.  I had hoped to spend a quiet term doing research.  Instead, I am to be tormented by her hand waving and know- it- all attitude for the entire summer.  I can only hope that I will have no contact with them; as they will undoubtedly want to be in the same classes, there isn't an icicle's chance in hell that Weasley will come into my class unless under direct force."  Lupin raised his eyebrow in surprise at the venom in Snape's voice, and the dog at his side began to growl.  As he started to say something else, the glare sent his way by Snape caused him to close his mouth with a snap.

Snape was rubbing his forehead, trying to ease the sharp pain that was threatening to split his head in two.  The Dream Team-Weasley, Potter and Granger.  What a nightmare.   Potter and Weasley had at least enough sense to stay out of his way, but Granger was another story.  For six years now, he had to deal with her constant hand waving in his class. She was extremely intelligent, and had great potential.  But her belief that books held all the answers and that other people's opinions were fact instead of opinion irritated him constantly.  It was the sam e mindless following that he saw at Death Eater meetings; Voldemort would stand and spew the most ridiculous vitriol about wizard superiority and the need for them to take their place as rightful commanders of the world.  It was laughable, except that people were swallowing it in droves. Granger would not be the type of person to turn to the dark side intentionally, but her arrogance, her belief that she held all the answers was a definite liability.  He knew only too well the isolation that came with that sort of intelligence, and how desperate some people were to have that sense of belonging. Her self- righteousness and her inability to see past the pretty images painted by propagandists could be her downfall.  Right now, however, she was not his concern.  With any luck, he would not have to tolerate her at all this summer.  _That_ would be grand. 

At that moment, Headmaster Dumbledore stood to begin the meeting.

"As you are all aware, this year we will be having an optional summer term.  There are two purposes for this.  First, and most importantly, it will provide sanctuary here at Hogwarts for those who seek it.  Over one third of our students have lost at least one parent to the current war, and it is our job to help them in their time of need."  He looked over his half rimmed glasses.  " Second, this term will give students time to prepare themselves for the outside world.  We have had to cut many of the practical lessons to make way for ones that will help people in times of war, things like dueling, and protection charms.   As a result, many of our students are unable to go out and function as effectively at University and in the home.  Also, for those who require a slower pace, there will be remedial lessons in most subjects to help students catch up with their peers, and ready for the autumn term.  Only 30 students signed up for this term, but I am confident that the extra personal attention will benefit each student tremendously." 

"Finally, before we close this meeting, there is one last issue I wish to discuss.  Due to the attack on Hogsmeade last week, Professor McGonagall and I do not feel we can keep the students safe on the Hogwarts Express, nor can we necessarily trust leaving Portkeys lying around.  As such, we have made the following decision.  Each instructor will have a group of students they are assigned to pick up.  They will take the Floo to the nearest terminal, and use Muggle transport to pick up the students, particularly those of muggle parentage.  Each of you will be equipped with a Portkey, and at the assigned time of 12:00 pm, they will all activate to bring both yourself and the students to the gates of Hogwarts.  I have made a list taking into account distance between the students homes and personal preference, although I know some of you", here he looked at Professor Snape, who groaned silently, "may not be happy with your list.  This cannot be avoided."

Dumbledore sat back down and Snape had a sinking feeling in his stomach.  Not Potter, please not Potter, he thought.  Professor Lupin glanced quickly at the list and smiled broadly.  As he reached down to pet the dog, he said quietly, "We get to go get Harry, Snuffles".  The dog barked and licked his hand.  Snape rolled his eyes.  He was one of the few staff who knew "Snuffles'" true identity.  He was really Sirius Black, Harry's godfather, in animagus form.  Sirius and Snape hated each other with a passion, starting back when they were in school together.  However, Snape tolerated Sirius, partly because he kept Potter out of his hair, and partly because Dumbledore had told him trusting that Snape would keep the dog's identity to himself.  Also, it had to be said, watching his enemy walk around on four legs and being forced to eat moldy dog biscuits from Hagrid was immensely satisfying.  Taking the sheet of paper from Lupin, he looked down the list for his name.  Then looked again.  Furiously, he stood up and stormed out of the room, and slammed the door behind him.  Curious, Lupin picked up the sheet and looked, fighting back the urge to laugh.  Under Professor Snape's name was the following assignment:

9:30 am Hermione Granger:  Islington, London

11:30am Susan Bones: Henley-on- Thames


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:  The Arrival

The letter arrived on 28th June:

                                 _Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

_                                      Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster_

_Dear Miss Granger:_

_            Thank you for registering for the Summer Term at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  Enclosed you will find a list of offered classes, along with a brief description of each.  You may select up to five classes for the session, which will run from 1 July to 28 August.  Registration for classes will occur on the evening of arrival.  Space is limited, so please have at least one alternate class selected in the event one of your choices if full.  All supplies will be provided at Hogwarts.  _

_            Although standards of conduct will remain high, it has been decided that the dress code for the summer will be relaxed.  Students will be allowed to wear street clothes provided they are in good taste.   Please note, however, that indecorous clothing will not be tolerated and may result in expulsion for the summer term.  Exercise discretion in your clothing choices.  _

_            Classes will run from 12:00 pm –8:00pm Monday through Friday.  There will be recreational activities scheduled for each weekend.  _

_            As a final note, due to heightened security in and around Hogwarts, a member of the teaching staff will arrive at your home on 30 June to escort you to the school personally.  This is to ensure that there are no problems in arriving, as well as making sure that every student will be able to have an equal chance to register for their first choice classes.  As they will be on a strict schedule, please be ready for them at the appointed time.  _

_            Once again, thank you for choosing to spend your summer holiday at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  We look forward to seeing you._

_                                                                                    Sincerely,_

_                                                                        Minerva McGonagall_

_                                                                        Deputy Headmistress_

_Please note: Professor Severus Snape will be arriving to pick you up at 9:30 am on 30th June._

_List of Available Classes:_

**_Household Magic_**_: Magic for cleaning, cooking and general use._ _ **Plants and Herbs - A Practical Approach**: Learn about wild plants and herbs as well as how to create your own household products._ **_Tea Leaves for the Beginner_**_: Learn about the different types of tea leaves and their uses in predicting the future._ **_Love Spells for the Lovelorn_**_: Learn special spells to cast yourself in a positive light, and find your soul mate._ **_Remedial Transfiguration_**_: For those students needing a review of previously covered material._ **_Care of Magical Pets_**_:  Learn about common household magical pets and how to care for them including diet, exercise, and how to keep them happy._ **_Practical Self Defense for the Witch or Wizard_**_:  Find your inner strength and learn to defend yourself in this fun, yet effective class._ **_Healing Potions_**_:  Learn how to brew some unusual healing potions (Please note- this class is reserved for students in the 4th form and beyond only)._ **_Magical Fine Arts_**_:  Ever wondered how to make paintings move and suits of armor sing?  Find out here._ **_Hogwarts through the Ages_**_:  Think you know everything there is to know about the castle and grounds at Hogwarts?  Think again.  Tour the halls, learn about the alumni and the secrets contained in Hogwarts._ **_Quidditch-A History_**_:  Learn about past and present Quidditch stars, rules of the game, and defensive strategies for the game._ **_Recreational Quidditch_**_: Two hours on a broomstick, flying through the air.  Any Questions?_ **_Remedial Charms_**_: for those who need a review of previously covered material._ **_Magical Law and Punishment_**_:  Learn the past present and future of magical law, as well as methods of punishment through the years. (Please note: there will be several essays through the course in which you must take a viewpoint on an issue.)_

.

The Granger residence was strangely quiet the morning of 30th June.  One would assume that Hermione's family would be getting dressed and ready to see a teacher from their daughter's school before she left for the summer.  However, such an assumption would be erroneous.

Mr. And Mrs. Granger had left the previous week to attend a weeklong dentistry convention in Dublin.  After the convention, they would be taking a holiday in Wales before returning to London.  As such, the only living creatures inhabiting the spacious home were Hermione and her mostly antisocial cat, Crookshanks.  This was not, unfortunately, a new occurrence.  Since Hermione had returned from her fourth year at Hogwarts, her parents had been away more than they had been at home.  In fact, since Hermione had returned home, she had seen her parents only on the afternoon she had alighted from the Hogwarts Express.  During an argument with her family on this very issue, Hermione had been told that at their age, they wanted to get out and enjoy the things they had worked so hard to get.  With Hermione in school through the year, they had become used to making plans without needing to worry about her, and certainly by this age, she should be able to look after herself.  This had been a bitter pill to swallow, but she had accepted it.  What came next, though, was even in hindsight, inexcusable in Hermione's eyes.  The argument had disintegrated from a debate to something akin to schoolyard brawling, to the point that Hermione had finally admitted that it got lonely being alone for weeks on end.  As she did not go to a local school, she had no friends really in the area.  Her friends had always been books, but now, even they didn't offer the solace they once did.  Finally, there was a war going on in the wizarding world, and she feared her parents would get caught in the crossfire. Being non magic would not protect them, but she was afraid to tell them about what was going on, for fear they would pull her out of Hogwarts, the one place she didn't feel like a freak. As Draco Malfoy had cruelly reminded her one day last year, her parents were "cannon fodder", easily sacrificed to whatever cause needed them.  It was cruel, but true, and she knew it.

"If you went to a normal school, you may have made some friends.  If you had not given up your life to go to some backwards, bizarre place where they don't even use electricity, you might have actually got a boyfriend.  Have you ever thought about the future, Hermione?  How will you get into Cambridge with qualifications from that place?  What are you going to do with your life, walk around in black robes and read tarot cards?  Honestly!  We raised you better than that. What would we tell our friends, what?  Have you ever thought about us, even for one second?  Did you ever think about what it must feel like to be us?  I mean, what do we tell them?  Our daughter is the Witch of Endor?  So, don't sit there and cry about what your life has become.  You made that choice, Hermione. You."

That had been the last time she had seen them.   When she had come downstairs after crying for what seemed like forever, there was a terse note with a phone number with "FOR EMERGENCIES ONLY" underlined, and cash in an envelope for her school supplies.  She snorted, and picked up Crookshanks to carry him outside into the hall.  So many people thought she led a charmed life.  _If they only knew._

So, at 9:00 am, her trunk sat packed by the door with an empty cat carrier sitting on top of it - Crookshanks was in hiding somewhere after seeing the carrier come out of the hall cupboard- Hermione walked into the parlor, pulling her hair into a tortoiseshell barrette, her lavender sundress skimming her knees.  After taking a quick tour of the house to make sure she had not forgotten to pack anything, that everything that needed to be unplugged was, she sat down, put on her sandals and began to read the list of classes.  Being able to only pick five was going to be difficult.    Some of them could be eliminated immediately.  Love spells were out.  So was recreational Quidditch.  How to choose the others?  There was no listing of the instructors who were to be teaching the classes, but some were obvious.  Grabbing a pen, she started to scribble away.

______________________________________________________________

Professor Snape was in a foul mood.  He hated anything to do with Muggle mass transport, and the heat of the summer had not improved things.  After arriving at the London Floo Terminal, he had intended to walk directly to the tube platform.  However, he was nearly knocked to the ground by a large woman who was squeezed into a navy nylon tracksuit that made a scratching noise when she walked and her thighs rubbed together.  Her hair was arranged in an extremely unattractive hairstyle with a hole in the back from where she had slept on it, and she had around her waist what was euphemistically called a "bum bag"(and what the more practical would call a "pickpockets delight").  Pulling himself up to his full height, he gave her a look that would send his students shrieking from the room.  This irritant merely stared at him and started to whisper to her friends in a mock whisper that everyone could hear, about "those rude people". 

Taking the tube turned out to be an additionally difficult chore as it was packed with sweating people.  When the stop nearest the Granger's finally arrived, the man who never seemed to move without the grace of a ballet dancer nearly tripped over an errant backpack in his hurry to get out of the carriage; so eager was he to escape the crying children, the riders who likely hadn't bathed in a week, and the pounding beat of a teenaged boys walkman that Snape could hear clearly from three seats away.  By the time he got to the surface street, he was nearly gasping for air.

Kensington was a beautiful neighborhood, filled with upwardly mobile families and concerned about appearances.   Planter boxes overflowed with blossoms of every description, and brass doorknockers gleamed in the morning sun.  The street, however, was strangely quiet.  There was no one walking their dog on the gleaming pavement, no paperboy throwing the morning paper on doorsteps, no children out playing in sandpits or even the sound of neighbors chatting as they walked out their front doors.  It looked on the surface to be perfection, but underneath the perfectly manicured exterior, you could almost feel the tension.  Walking down the street, he felt strangely exposed.

When he reached Hermione Granger's house, a fine sheen of sweat covered his body.  Professor Dumbledore had insisted that anyone who was to pick up Muggle born students were to dress as though they were Muggles themselves, and take nonmagical methods of transport once they arrived in the nearest city. Snape touched the black leather backpack that he carried containing the Portkey back to Hogwarts (a rumpled up towel), making sure it was there.  At exactly 12:00 noon, it would activate to send whoever was holding it to the gates of Hogwarts.  It was safety to him, assurance that he was going back to the world he belonged in.  

 Looking at the nearly identical facades of the homes and identical planter boxes. He wondered what sort of parents that Hermione had.    Parents often wanted for their children what they had worked to achieve themselves.  The expectations, especially for those who had not been born into a wealthy family, but had clawed their way to financial security could be very high.  Children were required to have top marks, associate with certain families and not with others.  Various clubs, activities, clothes and even boyfriends were required.  Anyone who didn't fit the mold was ostracized.  Hermione Granger, despite her brilliance intellectually, was a late bloomer.  She was often rejected by her peers at Hogwarts as a know it all.  But, what choice did she have? She had to succeed in the wizarding world, because she didn't fit in her old world anymore.  There was no second chance in the Muggle world for people like her.   What would she do, become a dentist like her parents?  In many ways, children coming from non wizarding families had a more difficult path.  They had to completely leave the world they knew to become what they had the potential to be.  Then they faced the double threat of being exiled by the family and life they had grown up with, and the culture they had grown to know, by virtue of their blood.  It wasn't pure enough on either side for many in either world. Yet many thrived.  Lily Potter, Minerva McGonagall, even Voldemort himself were proof of that.  All came from Muggle families to become some of the most influential wizards and witches of their time.  It wasas Dumbledore had often said, "our choices, much more than our abilities that make us who we truly are."  Muggle born children did well, not because they were any more blessed in one field, or favored by the Headmaster.  They did well because they had made the choice to succeed, not rest on their laurels because of their last name, or just get by doing the bare minimum because they were going to work for their families and do what was expected of them.  They couldn't go back.  They _had_ to make it work. That insight was sobering, and he pondered it as he walked down the street looking for house numbers.

Hermione was in a frenzy trying to catch Crookshanks and put him in his carrier when Snape rang the bell.  As she opened the door, she pushed the hair that had escaped the barrette out of her face.  Apologising for not being completely ready, she ushered him into her house, through the hall and into the sitting room as she saw her cat dart under a chair. 

Whilst she tried to catch the spitting feline, Snape glanced around.  It was as he expected- the room was elegant, each piece of furniture carefully chosen. Shades of cream and beige gave a cool and relaxing feeling to the space. But, looking around the room, there was absolutely no evidence that a teenager lived here.  There were no pictures of her on the wall, no shoes thrown into a corner.  The furniture was antique, not the kind that a teen could flop down on while reading or listening to music.  This was, without question, a house for adults.  

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Crookshanks sneaking out from behind a chaise.  Before the cat could react to having two pursuers, Snape had grabbed him, and as the squash nosed beast was shoved rather indelicately into the carrier, it retaliated by leaving thin strips of blood where claws dug into Snape's arm.

"I am so sorry, Professor", Hermione said, red suffusing her cheeks.  "Crookshanks hates going into his carrier, so from the minute it comes out of the cupboard, it's a fight". Snape waved it off.  

"I am surprised, Miss Granger, that you would even be awake at this ungodly hour", he said, wincing as she smiled.  

"You too?" she grinned.  Snape did not answer the question, but looked at her with a raised eyebrow in question as he pulled his wand out of his backpack.  It felt so strange not to be wearing robes, he thought.  Having to actually get a wand out of somewhere instead of just pulling it out of a pocket felt incredibly awkward.  And Professor Snape tried very hard not to be awkward in anything he did.  With a muttered "_Reducio!_" Hermione's trunk was the size of an index card, and Snape stashed it in his backpack while Hermione picked up the carrier.  Seeing that the cat's paw was sticking out of the wire in the carrier waiting to take another swipe at him, the professor swiftly walked to the door.  It was curious that her parents didn't seem to be at home, but he said nothing as she followed him out the door and locked it behind her, pocketing the key.  As she turned around, Hermione saw the next door neighbors curtains get pulled back, and a face appeared in the space.  Pasting on the biggest smile on her face she could muster at this hour in the morning, she waved.  The curtains snapped shut, as she muttered under her breath, "Nosy bloody prat".  The completely un-Hermione like comment brought a surprised laugh out of the Potions Master. Turning to walk back toward the tube station, he said with only a touch of sarcasm, "There may be hope for you yet, Miss Granger".


End file.
